1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an envelope. More particularly, the present invention relates to a reusable business envelope.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for reusable envelopes have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention
FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,531 to Stewart et al. teaches a remailable envelope that is constructed of a single sheet folded in half having perforations spaced inward from the non-folded edges. A flap fold is spaced inward parallel to the perforation at the perforation at the free edge of the back. Adhesive extends between the centerfold and the flap fold on the inner surface of the detachable lateral portions between the perforations and the lateral edges. Adhesive strips with release sheets are attached to the outer back face inside the perforations. Adhesives strips with release sheets are attached to an inside of the flap on the detachable portion between the perforation and the terminal edge. Adhesive strips with release covers are applied to the outer face of the flap inside the perforations. The envelope is preaddressed on the outer front face and may be preaddressed and stamped as a return envelope on the inner front face. In use the flap is folded down and material is placed inside the envelope. The release strip is peeled from the inside of the flap portion and the flap is folded up and the detachable portions outside the perforation at the terminal edges are pressed together. The envelope is mailed. Upon receipt one tears the envelope at the perforations and removes the peripheral portions. To reuse the envelope, one removes the release sheets on the lateral adhesive strips, reverses the central fold, exposing the new face, and presses the lateral portions together making a remailable envelope.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,768 to Gendron teaches a remailable envelope which comprises first and second extensions attached to the front and rear panels and first and second closure flaps attached to the first and second extensions. The nominal height of the rear wall is greater than the nominal height of the front wall, however, by selectively folding the envelope panels about the score lines provided for the first and second extensions, and first and second closure flaps, the envelope structure for the remailing can be made smaller than the envelope structure for the first mailing use.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,362 to Wilson teaches a reusable envelope for the delivery of mail and the return delivery of a response. The reusable envelope includes a single sheet of a selected material with various folds to achieve an envelope similar to a standard envelope. A front panel is defined at a central portion of the sheet. A first wing portion and a back portion are folded and secured to one another. A top flap portion extends from the front panel and may be folded toward the back portion to facilitate sealing the reusable envelope for original delivery. A second wing portion extends from the back portion and is folded and removably secured to a portion of the front panel. An opening is revealed for the withdrawal and placement of selected articles to be delivered upon removal of the second wing portion. A sealing flap is provided for sealing the opening for return delivery of the reusable envelope. Windows may be provided at selected locations along the front panel and second wing portion to facilitate the viewing of send and/or return addresses printed upon the contents within the reusable envelope.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,092 to File teaches a reusable mailer type business form that has an initial mailing configuration addressed to an outgoing addressee and a reply mailing configuration addressed to a reply addressee. The mailer complies with the postal requirement that no part of the outgoing address or postage (including postal service applied bar coding) appear on the mailer in the reply configuration. The mailer includes a front opaque ply with at least one cut-out, and at least one removable strip adjacent an edge, including a perforation line. Postage indicia are visible at the upper right-hand corner of the front ply. A rear opaque ply has a fold line adjacent an edge, and coincident with the perforation line of the front ply. A flap is defined between the fold line and the adjacent edge. At least one insert ply (between the front and rear plies) having outgoing address information visible through the cutout when the mailer is in the initial mailing configuration is provided. Various structures are provided for rendering non-viewable all outgoing addressee postage information when the mailer is converted between the initial and reply configurations. Such structure can be a second removable strip adjacent a different edge than the first removable strip, or a second cutout provided in the front ply for viewing the outgoing postage (on the insert ply).
FINALLY, STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,957 to Stude teaches a reusable mailing envelope that is constructed from a blank comprising a front panel having an inner surface and an outer surface and a rear panel having an inner surface and an outer surface and being connected to the front panel along a first fold line. A seal flap formation is coupled to one of the panels along a second line spaced from the first fold line and includes a seal flap having adhesive on an inner surface thereof for adhering the seal flap to one of the panels in a first mailing condition. The seal flap formation further includes a first seal flap section having an inner surface and an outer surface and being connected along a third line to the seal flap and a second seal flap section having an inner surface and an outer surface and being connected along a fourth fold line to the first seal flap section and being coupled along the second line to one of the panels. Structure is provided for securing the front and rear panels together along adjacent side edges thereof. Also, reusable structure is provided for allowing the envelope to be reused as a mailing envelope and is coupled to one of the panels. The reusable structure includes at least a part of at least one of the first or second seal flap sections. The reusable structure has the first mailing condition when initially mailed and a second condition wherein at least a portion of one of the seal flap sections of the reusable structure forms a resealing flap which is sealed to at least one surface of the envelope for remailing the reusable envelope. At least one of the first and second seal flap sections having adhesive on and extending at least partially across said inner surface thereof parallel to said third and fourth lines and at least a part of at least one of the seal flap sections being detachable from the envelope.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for reusable envelopes have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the Purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.